Tribune staff

The "real" war in Iraq may occur in the next 72 hours. American troops, after days of racing across the desert, began plunging into the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Saturday.

The surprise armored dash through the heart of Baghdad may have been intended to feel out the defenses and to provide a little psychological show of force to the Iraqi leadership. Perhaps the fiery trip was intended to simply say, "we are here, and we can attack anywhere and anytime we choose."

The next step in the war remains unclear.

Military experts say they cannot predict how the crumbling Iraqi regime will react to the arrival of liberating forces.

Suicide bombers and the close-quarters fighting necessary inside the city's confines both are likely to cause great human losses.

The likelihood that Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein, if he is still alive, will order the use of chemical and/or biological weapons remains high.

As our troops begin the next stages and secure strategic parts of Baghdad, danger lurks everywhere and the recent "cleanness" of the war to date, may become ugly very quickly.

Saddam and his regime are evil and desperate to hold onto power, no matter the cost. If Saddam's survival is unlikely, he and his followers may choose to destroy as many American troops as possible, even if that means sacrificing the lives of themselves and innocent civilians in their path.

Martyrdom may be Saddam's only real chance of keeping his message alive.

The zero hour is here. Large portions of Iraq are controlled by allied troops. American soldiers surround the outskirts of Baghdad. Now both sides need to decide how next to proceed.

The best hope allied troops have to avoid a bloody, face-to-face fight inside Baghdad is for the Iraqi people to stand up and fight against the current regime.

We hope and pray that occurs so the fighting can stop and the proud country of Iraq can begin rebuilding itself as a new democratic nation.